Rotary engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheetl 1.

J. A. (10011111111 n J. M. 01111111.1011. ROTARY ENGINE.

110.573,179. Patented Dec. 15, 1896.

n umunull'lmm 'L Y @w |(No Model.)

J. A. GooDNB-R an J..M. GHRITTON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Deo. 15,1896.

' wifljzsszs Sheets-Sheet 2f UNITED STATES JAMES A. GOODNER AND JAMES M.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHRITTON, OF MOSCA,COLORADO.

RQTARYv ENGINE.

SPEcIFIcATIoN'forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,179, dated Deember 1 5, 189e.

.Application filed Tune 30,' 1896. Serial No. 597,609. f No mcdel Y. A

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that we, JAMES A. Gfoonnnnand JAMES M- CHRI'ITON, citizens of the United States, residing atMosca, in the county of the exhastlpor't is opened in advance of the turning of the throttle, for the admission ofA zo live steam or other motive medium to the engine for driving the saine.

For afull understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and z 5 the following description.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes 4kin the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of i 3o the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in .which--y v Figure lis a perspective view of a rotary 35 engine constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention for attaining the objects thereof. Fig. 2 is avertical central v transverse section thereof., Fig. 3 is a ver-` tical section on-the line X X of Fig. 2, look- 4o ing to the left, showing the parts in aposition with the ingress 'and egress ports closed.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, showing the egress and ingress ports open. Fig. 5 is a detail View showing more clearly the manner 45 `of exhausting -the steam or motive medium. Fig. G is a detail 'view of a strip for packing againstthe valve so as to maintain a tight joint. Fig. 7 is a detail viewm s ection of 5o a series of valves and piston-bear1ng disks mounted upon common shafts.- Fig. sis a detail view of the valve forvcontrolling the admission and exhausting of the steam.

Corresponding and like parts-are referred to in the following description and indicated -in the several 4.views ofthe accompanying drawings by the saine reference-charactcrs.

The casing for inclosing the operating parts` is mounted upon a base or platform 1 and is composed ci similar parts 2 and 3, which are bolted or otherwise secured together. These Vparts 2 and 3 arese'parable vertically and form halves of the casing and are provided in their meeting. faces with corresponding 'ref ccsses which, when thepartsare secured 'together, provide the' spaces, passages, and chambers for the reception 'of the valves and piston and 4for the ingress andegress of the steam-compressed air,.or other motive inedium employed for 4driving the'cngine. casing grows smaller toward its upper'end, and its lower or base portion is formedwith an annular chamber fi, in which operates a piston 5, the latter being attached toa revoluble disk G, keyed to a shaft 7, journaled at or near its ends in they parts of the casino'.

i A rotating valve or vabutment S is located immediately above the revoluble disk and intersects with the upper portion of the annular chamber 4, and'is" formed in its periphery with a splicroidal-shapcd ppcket 9, through which sweeps the piston 5. when the engine is in operation. This valve `or abutment S vis keyed upon a shaft l0, 'extending parallel withthe shaft 7 and journaled in the parts forming the casing. 1l, in which the rotating valve or abutment S is fitted, intersects with the upper portion of the annular chamber l and is provided with horizontal depressions 1'. atintervals in its periphery;which are adaptedto receive packing-strips 13, held closely aga-inst the peripheral surface of the abutment S by bowed springs ill, placed within the said `dement S and its compartment 1l. the Valve and a spring for pressing theA strip The revoluble disk with its piston and the rotary valve or abutment 8, are caused 4,to rotate in unison bymeans of intermeshing gears 15 and 16, .the former being secured `upon the shaft 7 and the latter upon the The 'lhe compartment shaft v1 0, therebybringing' the piston 5" and 'pocket 9 in opposition, y*so that, in the opera.- tion of the engine the piston-5 willsweep through 'the .pocket 9 without. causing any' interference ordetraetingin the least from the momentum or. power of themotor. VA {1y-wheel 17 is mounted upon a projecting end of the shaft 7.1.'0 cause the engine to run steady. and smoothly and 'to serve as a means for receiving the drive-belt, by means of,

which vmotion or power is transmitted from the engine to the mechanism' or part to be- -operated thereby. A recess 18 is'provided in each part of the casinglto one` side of the space in which operates the revoluble disk 6, 'fand the vside walls of this recess yconverge l.toward their outer ends, thereby giving to the recess in side elevation 1an, approximately wedge shaped form. An abutment 19 is fitted in each-recessiS andv is wedge-shaped in end elevation to conform'to the' cross-sectional, outline 'of the recess, and is l-moved outward by means.

of a 'coil-spring .20, so astohold the part 19 in close. engagement with the rotating valve or abutment 8.- It'will be understood that a recess 18 will-be provided upon each side of" the revoluble'disk 6 andthe recesses aline transversely,thereby bringing-the abutments 19 in thesame straight line, so as to exert anupward pressure against the lower vportion of the rotating valve or abutment 8, whereby` y a practically steam-tight joint is maintained betweenthe said pai-t8 and the annular chamber 4, it* being remembered .that 4.the abutments l19 are located opposite the meeting portions of the parts 6 and 8. vThis construction is rendered necessary by reason of 4the difference in thicknessof the disk and ro-v tating valve, the disk Abeing thinner and the snm .'oi .the length of the abutments 19 and compartment 11. Pipes 24 cpnnedt the steamchest with the compartment 11 and communicate withthe latter about at diametrically' opposite points. There is no communication between the .pipes 2l' and the Vpassages 2 3, `andY the latter. are used for exhausting the steam or motive 'medium from the annular chamber 4, and the pipes 24 arel designed to convey the live steam or. moti ve medium from the steam-chestvinto the compartment 11 and from the latter tothe .annular chamber-i by way of the pocket 9 in the rotating'va'lve or abutment 8-, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. A vertical passage V25 connects the compartment llnwiththe steam-chest 21 and provides vmeans for lexhausting the steam from the The steam' pocket 9,- as' indicated in Fig.

or otive'medium i's supplied to the steamchest by means of a pipe 26, which communicates with a generator o rsource from whence the motive medium is derived'. An exhaustpipe 27 communicateswith a passage28. in

the casing and with liie-stean'l-chest through .the said-passage 28.

' The va've 22 is journaled in the sides comprising the casing and is located in the steam chest 21, and' one or lboth journals are extended andconstructed so as to receive ahandie or other means'for operating the valve to A cavity 29- i's formed intermediateof Vthe ends of the' valve andcommunicates with an lappronil nately T-shaped passage 30,y which start, stop, or reverse the engine, as required,

latter' is. in communication 'with the exhaus'tpassage 28. Cavitiesl areprovided at each passage 2,3 and the passage 25, `as indicated "side of the cavity 29 and are adapted to span 'and establish communication between either in .Fig-4, so that .the live steam confined in v.the pocket 9 .may expand and assist in driv ing the engine by its expansive force. It f must be Aborne in mind that the piston'and rotatingvalve or abutment move in unison and that the'pocket 9' establishes communi'- f cation between the compartmentfll and Iannular chamber 4 during a part of the revolution of each of theparts 8 and 6, and'when .this communication is interrupted the piston roo is. driven the remaining yportion `of its'rota.

tion by the expansion of the steam admitted into the chamber 4. When the pocket 9 with Y' the livesteam confined therein communicates 1 with the passage 25, the steam so confined will expand and escape into the chamber 4in ff' the rear of the'piston 5 through the passages r Y 25 and- 2 3 and the cavity 31, connecting the` same, thereby augmenting the force applied for. impelling thepiston. As shown in Fig.

4, the steam passes from the steam-'chest into the right-hand pipe 24 and from thence into the right-hand -portion vot' the annular chamber 4, thereby driving the piston.. ina clockwise direction, the steain inthe rear of they piston exhausting through the left-hand pas- .fais

sage 23, cavity 29passage 30, and exhausty pipe 27 to the point of discharge. By chang- .ing the position of the valve-'22, so thatthe steam will enter. the annular chamber 4 by way of the left-hand'ppe 24., the engine will f be reversed, that is, the piston and ts'carrying-disk will be rotated in an direction.. y

W'h'en it is required to augment the power,

anticlockwise so that the combinedaction of the direct boilerf pressure and the expansion of t-he steam may v' be utilized, a series of valves or abutmentsS are mounted upon a shaft 10, and a series of revolublc disks G, having pistons 5,'are keyed nponashaft7,theparts beingarranged so that the livesteam is admitted successively into Where the respective annular chambers 4.

three valves and vthree piston-bearing disksare used, they will be related so that the pistons 5 will receive the force of the live steam during a third of the revolution of the shaft 7, that is, when the rst piston has. made a third of a revolution the second piston `will receive the steam, and when the second piston has made a third of a revolution and the first piston two -thirds of a revolution, the third or last piston will receive the steam. Hence the direct boiler action is utilized at all times in conjunction 'with the expansive action of the steam after the manner of 'a compound or multiple engine.

It will be understoodthat any required number of piston-bearing disks and pistons may be employed and attached to the same shaft.V

Thus if six be employed each will be c'ut off `from the direct action of thesteam at one-sixth of the revolution of the shaft, the steam acting by expansive force during the remaining five-sixths of the revolution; If four be employed, the direct pressure of 1Lhe steam will be cut off from each at one-fourth of the revolution ofthe shaft,.an`d so on according to the number employed in multiple series.4

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is- 1.' In a'rotary engine, the combination of a casing havinga steam-chest, a compartment and chamber, and havin-g supply and exhaust compartment and chamber, a valve located in the steamchest and-provided with a cavity to establish communication between the ex liaust-passages of the compartment and chamber, 'a piston operating iii 'the chamber, and

a rotating valve or abutment'tted in the.

compartmentand provided with a pocket to j establish communication between'the supplypipe and chamber during a portion of itsrevelution and adapted to communicate with the exhaust-passage during'a portion of the same revolution and at a time when ythe supply -of live steam to the chamber is eut off, whereby the live steam confined inthe said pocket ex-v pandsand assists materially in driving the. piston, substantially as vset forth.

ll In a rotary engine, the combination of a piston, andza rotary valve or abutment-having a pocket, which latter during a portion of the revolution o'f the 4said valve establishescommunication between the steam supply and the chamber in which operates the pisromand which pocket during a portion of the same revolution of, the valve.. communicates with a by-passage leading into the aforesaid chamber, whereby the live steam contained in the said lpocket serves to drive the engine by its expansive force, substantially as set forth. l

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of a casing having a compartment and chamber in ,which bperate, respectively, a rotating valve orabutment and a piston', the rotating vailve havinga pocket, and a valve operating in a steam-chest for stopping, starting and revorsiiug the engine, the latterfvalve being pro'- vided with a middle and side cavities, the middle cavity establishing communication between the exhaust-passage and the exhaustpipe, and a side cavity establishing communication bet-.Ween an exhaust-passage ofthe .said chamber. and a similar passage of' the compartment, whereby 'the live steam conlined in the poclretfof therotating valve can y escape to the aforesaid chamber to assist in driving the piston byexpansive force, subst-antially es described. y

l. In ar'ctary engine, the combination of a casing provided with a steam-chest, a com partnient, and a chamber, the compartment and chamber intersectin g, supply and exhaust passages between the steam-chest,` compartment and chamber, a rotating valve operatt ing in the compartment and having a pocket,

a piston operating in the said chamber, and a valve located in the steam-chest for starting,- stopping and reversing the engine, and providedwith a middle and side cavities and an approximately T- shaped passage communicating with the middle cavity and with the exhaust-passages, substantially as shown and described, t

5. In a rotary engine, the combination of a casingliaving a circular compartment and an annular chamber intersecting and provided with a space midway the sides of the annular chamber, a rotating valve or abutment located in the compartment and having a pocket in its periphery,a revoluble disk operating in the said space and bearing a piston to travel in the annular chamber and sweep through the pocket offthe rotating valve, and springactuated abutments located in recesses upon opposite sides of the aforesaid space and revo` luble disk and adapted to'bear against the` peripheral surface of the rotating valve, the combined length of the spring-actu ated ab utin ents and the thickness of the revel-able disk equaling the thickness of the said rotating valve, substantially as shown -for the purpose described.

6. A rotary engine embodying in its organization similar parts or halves havingv recesses .said chamber, a rotating valve or abutment operating in the compartment and provided 'with a pocket through which is adapted to sweep the piston, and which pocket is adapted to communicate with the exhaust-passage between the compartment v and steam-chest and to establish communication between va supply-pipe and the aforesaid chamber, packin g-strips and abutments to bear against the 'periphery of the-rotating valve or`ablutment to secure a steam-tightjoint, su ppI-y-pipes between ythe steam chest and compartment,

IIO

means for. causing the rotating valve and revolubledisk 'no operate in unison, and a. Valve located in the 'steam-chest for starting, stopping and reversing the engine, and provided with a middlel and side cavities, the middle cavity establishing communication between an exhaust-passage and Iche exhaust-pipe, and

an end cavity adapted to connect the other exhaust-passage and the exhaust-passage be- Io tween the com pnrtmentand steam-chest, substantially in t-he manner anl for the purpose set forth. Y

vIn testimony that we el'aim rthe foregoing as our own we have hereto axed our signatures n'the presence of two witnesses. y JAMES A. GOODNER.

JAMES M. CHRITTON. Witnesses: N. C. PA'rToN, JESSE BOOTH. 

